Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School, Pleasant Grove AL

Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School

Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School is a middle school in Pleasant Grove, a western suburb of Birmingham, serving grades six through eight. The school operates as a regular public school within the Jefferson County district, and its name signals an International Baccalaureate program, though specific IB curricular offerings are not detailed in the available data. This is the only middle-grade option in Pleasant Grove, with the old high school building now housing the school while a newer high school stands elsewhere in the city.

Academically, the school posts exceptionally strong state test results. On the most recent Alabama ACAP assessments from the 2024-25 school year, proficiency rates in English language arts ranged from nearly universal among sixth and seventh graders to a perfect rate in eighth grade. Math proficiency was also high, with the lowest rate still above three-quarters of students meeting the bar. Eighth-grade science proficiency was also well above nine in ten students. When the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades is compared against the districts in Jefferson County, it sits in the top quartile. Because the school only has one year of assessment data reported, there is no trend yet to show whether these results represent a stable pattern or a single strong season. A parent considering this school can expect a student body that, on these measures, is performing at a very high academic level.

The student body is moderate in size for a school serving three middle grades, with a roughly equal distribution across sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Racially and ethnically, the school is nearly evenly split between white students and Black students, each making up over two-fifths of enrollment, with Hispanic students accounting for a meaningful share and a small percentage of multiracial students. Just under half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a middle ground economically. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent should ask the school directly about how those populations are served and what supports are in place.

Pleasant Grove itself is a primarily residential suburb that has experienced a slow population decline since its peak. The city was heavily damaged by a tornado in the 2010s and has since rebuilt, including a new high school. The housing market here is more affordable than the national median, with home values slightly below the state average. Rents are also moderate, and the area offers a small-town, closely knit atmosphere with limited commercial corridors. There is no traditional walkable downtown; schools, civic buildings, and a public library are spread through the residential fabric. Most residents commute to Birmingham for work in healthcare, retail, and logistics.

Because Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School is a middle school only, it has no graduation rate to report, and data on chronic absenteeism was not available. The district itself appears stable, with no recent major changes documented. Families coming into the area will find a school with a clear academic strength: consistently high proficiency on state tests that places it among the leading schools in the county. The school’s location in a quiet, affordable suburb may appeal to those who value a smaller community setting with easy highway access to Birmingham.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 675%

School 75% · District 18% · ▲ 56 pts above district

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 66 pts above county median

Grade 786%

School 86% · District 14% · ▲ 72 pts above district

▲ 69 pts above state median · ▲ 80 pts above county median

Grade 883%

School 83% · District 11% · ▲ 72 pts above district

▲ 68 pts above state median · ▲ 79 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 698%

School 98% · District 47% · ▲ 51 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 56 pts above county median

Grade 798%

School 98% · District 47% · ▲ 51 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 59 pts above county median

Grade 8100%

School 100% · District 44% · ▲ 56 pts above district

▲ 48 pts above state median · ▲ 62 pts above county median

Science

Grade 895%

School 95% · District 29% · ▲ 65 pts above district

▲ 60 pts above state median · ▲ 75 pts above county median

This schoolJefferson County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income98%Higher-income97%0 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income100%Higher-income97%3 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income67%Higher-income80%13 pp gap